Means for blending butter



March 19, 1935. J J. OCONNELL ET AL MEANS F'OR BLENDING BUTTER Filed J une 420, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet l Y J. O 'Canms// ,4 5 1"" March 19, 1935. J QCQNNELL ET AL 1,994,896

MEANS FORBLENDING BUTTER Filed June 20, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Mar. 19, 1935 r 1,994,896 MEANS FOR) BLENDING BUTTER Application Joseph OConnell and Harold Hamilton Kerr, Kensington, Victoria,

Australia June2llg1933, Serial No. 676,756

In Australia September 29, 1932 I 8 Claims.

This invention has reference to ameans for blending butter and is particularly adaptable to rotary churns.

'Hitherto during the manufacture of butter, 1. e., treatment within a rotary churn worker, the butter is washed and salted and worked'by the usual working elements operating within the churn worker, and during such working process it has been found that portion of the butter receives varying treatment, 1. e., differentproportions of salt and water with the result that the composition of butter-aftertreating operations is not of uniform character, some portions containing a greater percentage of moisture and/or salt than others.

Various types of mechanism have been devised and embodied within a churn barrel to endeavor to blend the butter so as to obtain a composition of uniform character, but the disadvantage of such types resides in the diflioulty which is experienced in cleaning the mechanism with which comes into contact the cream prior to it being formed into butter.

The main object of the present invention is to overcome the foregoing disadvantages and. to providean independent blending element that may be readily applied to and churn barrel .at the will of the operator during the treatment of the butter to result insame being thoroughly mixed and a butter of uniform composition being obtained. V I

I With the above object in view the present invention consists in a blending element disposed on a portable frame adapted to be positioned in relation to achurn barrel so that the effective portion of the element takes up a position within V butter at the time not passing through the workers on falling is deposited on to the blending element and directed so that the front end of such portion (which portion is in the form of a layer of butter extending for the length of the working element) is transferred to the rear of the churn barrel and similarly the rear portion transferred to the front of the churn barrel. This operation takes place with each set of workers at the approximate same position on each'revolution of the churn barrel, resulting in portion of the butter from one end of the churn being consistently .dis-' placed to effect a thorough mixing and obtain a composition of butter of uniform character.

' An apparatus according to the inventionis preferably adapted to rotary churns carrying working elements-and may be used in conjuncinserted into a tion with a plurality of churns since it is anjindependent unit Preferably the blending element is adjustable on its'frame so as to be moved vertically or laterally to compensate for any plate in the working churn, such-adjustment bein late the height respective churn worker with .wear that may take, parts of the frame or the g necessary to regu-f of'the element'in relation to the which it is to be used in order that the element may be'fcorrectly placed in operative position. The lower portion desired formation of the posed to the opening in the erably of a similar contour,

element. may be of and adaptedto contain salt or the like, one end of such portion, apparatus is in set position, being. .adjacently:

churn barrel andprefto facilitate the salt when the disbeing transferred into the churn barrel, means being provided erative position.

If desired the for clamping the apparatus inoplower portion of the element forming the salt container may be constructed; to

churn barrel coinciding with a downwardly inclined defie form a horizontal platform on which salt may be nearest the the upper edge of ctor plate employed v to return any particles of butter thatv may POS',

sibly be ejected from the operation.

There may guard the operators'hands fr also be a guard form of an angle iron ring or the blending. element and salt churn barrel during preferably in the container to safeom' coming into con tact with the moving parts of the churn worker during, operation.

Other features of this invention are described hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:-

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the blending element mounted on a portable frame.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary'front elevation of the blender frame showing the clampin mechanism with its grips in engagement with the angle iron guides. I

Figure 3 is a side elevation of FigureZ.

Figure 4 is a front elevation of a churnworker showing the blender with.

in operative position there- Figure 5 is a side elevation of Figure' l;

Figure 6 is'a fragmentary a modification of the perspective view of blending elementin combination with a salt reception platformand deflector plate.

One particular form of carrying our invention into, practical effect-will now be described byway s PATENT OFFICE hand surrounding V of example as applied to a rotary churn worker to a churn barrel 8 when in operative position carrying working elements the invention compris therewith that the upper edge 17'of said segment or other-guides .9 being provided beneath said ment of the churn from which and at the time churn 8 for directing the wheels 7. the layerof butter is deposited.

Vertical standards 10 are mounted on each side The lower portion of the blending element 12, 10

ment 12. These supporting sections 11 aremount said receptacle 19 when the frame is in operative 15 11 to enable said sections 11 to be adjusted verthe salt from the receptacle 19 may be easily trans- 20 by and mounted to the adjustable metal sections downwardly inclined deflector plate 41employed ll'forming part of the metal framework constructo return any particles of butter that may possibly tion 6. The upper part 15 of the element 12 forms be ejected from the churn barrel 8 during operathe effective portion of the blender and extends tions;

v longitudinally beyond the lower portion and is of Mounted to and around the circumferenceof a shape to preferably concentrically conform to the complete blending element 12 at a required po-'- the circular opening 16 inthe front face of the sition is an angle iron orother suitable guard 21 churn barrel 8. The said eifective portion 15 for protecting the operators hands during the preferably forms a segment of a circle and is blending operation from coming in contact with adapted when the supporting metal frame 6 is in the fixtures disposed on the front of the rotating operative position to protrude a. desired distance, churn barrel 8.7 This guard 21 also acts as a reininto and towards the centre of the churn 8 and rigidity.

through the working elements incorporated in the preferably comprise wedge, shaped grips or shoes churn8 to be deposited on to the external surface 22 disposed one on either side of the lower 5 of the inserted or effective portion'15 of the blendportion of the frame 6 and adapted to be actuing element 12 so that when the major part of the ated so as to register with the respective upright layer of butter overbalances and falls, resulting in flanges of the angle iron'guides 9 positioned bethe front end of such portion being transferred to low the churn barrel 8; the actuating mechanism the rearJof the churn 8, the rear'portion is simicausing the grips 22 .topbe-moved laterally'in 5 larly transferred to the front of the churn, which opposite directions and at the same time upoperation-takes place in conjunction with each wa'rdly sothat the gripping edges 23 of the set of workers on practically every revolution of wedges 22 engage with the vertical 'flanges of butter from each end of the churn is being conforce the frame 6 down firmly onthe angle iron The wedges 22 forming the gripping means are In the exceptional cases where the layer of butdetachably mounted to the lowerend of respecter from the working elements of the churn is not tive operating levers pivotally mounted on either angles to its former horizontal position in which horizontal member 24 rotatably mounted on' a 5 churn barrel 8, further ensuring that the butter ly midway between the front and rear ofthe mixing and obtainacomposition of uniform charlever 27 to the lower end-of which is mountacter. a ed the gripping wedge 22.' The other end of The segment forming the effective portion 15 of the horizontal member 24 has an upwardly pro- I the blending element 12 is so disposed in relation jecting lever 28 to the upperend of which is pivotally mounted one end of a threaded horizontal spindle 29 extending towards the centre of the frame 6, the free end of said spindle 29 engaging with a tapped opening in an extended boss 30 of an operating wheel or device 31 centrally positioned within the frame 6 beneath the blending element 12. These spindles 29 extending from each side of the frame 6 are in alignment and both engage with the operating wheel 31, one spindle having a right hand thread and the other a left hand thread so that on the rotation of the operating wheel 31 the spindles 29 are made to traverse in opposite directions. Suitable stops 32 are provided to determine the outward travel of the spindles 29 and prevent same from becoming detached from the tapped boss 30 of the operating wheel 31 during the operation of releasing the grips 22 from engagement with their respective angle irons 9.

The action of the clamping means is as follows:After theframe 6 of the blender 12 has been placed in operative position ,under the churn barrel 8 the operating wheel 31 of the clamping mechanism is rotated in a direction to draw the threaded spindles 29 toward each other, which action forces the gripping wedges 22 outwardly against the vertical flanges of the angle iron guides 9 positioned under the churn 8 and maintains the frame 6 of the blender 12 in a fixed position.

Mounted on the blender frame in a suitable position is a stop 33 which determines the forward movement of the frame 6 under the churn barrel 8 so that the lower portion of the blending element, which is the end of the receptacle 19 for holding salt, does not contact with the face of the churn 8; suitable handles 34 are also provided for the purpose of moving the frame 6 into a desired position.

We do not wish to be arbitrarily confined to details since we may if necessary have to depart therefrom, and, while we have described the essential characteristics of our invention, we desire it to be understood that various suitable improvements and modifications may be embodied in the invention without departing from its spirit and scope.

What we claim as our invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:--

1. A butter blender, including a portable frame, an independent blending element adjustably mounted on the portable frame the upper portion of said element forming a segment and projecting longitudinally beyond the lower portion and when disposed in operative position in relation to a churn barrel having its upper edge in approximate alignment with the vertical centre line of the churn barrel.

2. In a butter blender, a portable frame adapted to be arranged adjacent a churn barrel, an independent blending element adjustably mounted on the portable frame, the upper portion of said element projecting longitudinally beyond the lower portion and forming a segment adapted to be positioned within the churn barrel, the lower portion of said element forming a receptacle for holding salt or the like and having an end conforming to the contour of the opening in the churn barrel with which opening it is in close proximity during the blending operation.

3. In a butter blender a portable frame adapted to be arranged adjacent a churn barrel, an

ed to be positioned within the churn barrel, and.

a detachable platform on the lower portion of said element and having a deflector plate.

4. In a butter blender of the character described a combined blending element and salt a reception platform fitted with a deflecting plate for the purposes set forth.

5. In a butter blender, a portable frame adapted to be arranged adjacent a churn barrel, an independent blending element adjustably mounted on the portable frame, the upper portion of said element projecting longitudinally beyond the lower portion and forming a segment of a circle which when deposited in operative position within the churn barrel causes that portion of the butter at the time not passing through the workers of the churn on falling therefrom to be deposited on to said segment and directed so that the front end of such portion of butter is transferred to the rear of the churn andthe rear portion transferred to the front of the churn for the purposes specified.

6. A butter blender comprising a portable frame, an independent blending element adjustably mounted on the portable frame adapted to be positioned in relation to a churn barrel'during working operations in order to effect a blending of the butter within said churn, said blending element including a lower semi-cylindrical portion and an upper segmental portion projecting longitudinally from the lower portion, means for positioning and clamping said frame in operative position to retain the effective portion of the blending element in relation to butter workers within said churn and a cylindrical guard member surrounding the blending element for protecting the hands of the operator from the rotating element on thechurn.

7. A butter blender comprising a frame adapted to be arranged adjacent a churn barrel and including a movable base, vertical standards on one end of the base and supports adjustably disposed on the upper ends of the standards, an independent stationary and reinforced blending element mounted on the supports, the effective portion of the element being disposed above said base and protruding beyond the said supports, clamping means pivotally secured to said base and adapted to register with guides positioned beneath a churn barrel, operating means for actuating the clamping means and disposed beneath the blending element and guard means for protecting the hands of the operator from the moving parts of the churn during operation. I

8. In a butter blender, a portable frame, a blending element adjustablymounted on the upper part of the frame, horizontally extending shafts mounted on the opposite sides of the lower part of the frame, levers having their medial portions pivotedon the shafts, clamping grips detachably fastened to the lower ends of the levers, right and left handed screw threaded spindles respectively pivoted to the opposite ends of the levers and disposed in alignment, and a common control wheel operatively engaged with the threaded spindles.

JOSEPH OCONNELL. HAROLD HAMILTON KERR. 

